The Rosato brothers

I found some interesting information about the Rosato brothers in the screenplay of The Godfather II. First, the conversation Mike had with Roth at his home which was apparantly cut or shortened in the film. Second, the conversation of a deleted scene where Pentangeli meets with the Rosato brothers for the first time (see picture).

It explains and confirms their role within the Corleone family.

The conversation between Mike an Roth:

MICHAEL
The Rosato Brothers have performed
services for you in the past; I
understand that they are under your
protection.

ROTH
(simply)
We do favors for each other...

MICHAEL
Technically, they are still under
the Clemenza wing of the Corleone
Family, now run by Frankie
Pentangeli. After Clemenza died,
the Rosatos wanted territory of
their own. Pentangeli refused, and
came to me, asking for permission
to eliminate them. I, of course,
knew of their relationship with
you, and in gratitude for your help
with the Tropicana matter, turned
him down. Pentangeli was furious,
and paid one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars to have me killed.
I was lucky and he was stupid.
I'll visit him soon.
(leaning toward the
old man, sincerely)
The important thing is that nothing
jeopardize our plans, yours and
mine. This thing of ours, that we
will build.

The old man touches Michael's hand, warmly.

ROTH
Nothing is more important.

MICHAEL
(quietly)
Pentangeli is a dead man; do you
object?

ROTH
It's always bad for business; but
you have no choice.

MICHAEL
Then it's done. I must choose his
replacement: it cannot be Rosato.

ROTH
Of course you must keep control of
your family.

The first meeting between Pentangeli and the Rosato brothers.



INT. THE RESTAURANT - DAY

The restaurant is quite empty, despite the excitement out on
the street.

Pentangeli immediately sits at a table with a tall, dark,
snappily dressed young man, CARMINE ROSATO.

Nearby, on the other side of the room is Rosato's brother,
TONY, seated with a group of their men.

At another table in the restaurant is a table of Pentangeli's
people: they are joined by bodyguards.

PENTANGELI
Rosato, where's your brother?

ROSATO
Sitting right behind you.

Pentangeli glances behind himself.

PENTANGELI
He don't want to talk?

ROSATO
We worked it all out beforehand.

PENTANGELI
Are we going to eat or what?

ROSATO
Sure, on me. I got Diner's Club.

PENTANGELI
(sarcastically)
Forget it; I'm suddenly without an
appetite. You're making big
trouble, Carmine.

ROSATO
You weren't straight with us,
Frankie, what else could we do?

PENTANGELI
We could have talked first, saved a
lot of running around.

ROSATO
You wasn't listening, you didn't
want to talk.

PENTANGELI
Don't I look like I'm listening?

ROSATO
We want Brooklyn one hundred
percent. No more taxes to you. We
want to be only loosely connected
with your family -- sort of a
under-family all of our own. Then
we can act on all internal matters
without talking. Also we want you
to inform Michael Corleone that we
can deal directly with him.

PENTANGELI
I'm a little hungry, maybe I'll
order something. Joe.
(one of his men)
Get me some bracciole or something.
And pay cash.
(to Rosato)
And in return for these concessions,
what do you do for me?

ROSATO
We will release the hostages,
number one. Number two, we're here
for you to count on when you need
us. We're independent, but we're
here if you need us. In general,
we'll cooperate with you and your
businesses, and you in turn will
cooperate with us. Pari persu.

PENTANGELI
Pari Persu; what the fuck is Pari
persu...?

ROSATO
My lawyer went over this beforehand.

PENTANGELI
What assurances do I have that
there will be no more kidnapping,
no more hits?

ROSATO
The same assurance we got from you.

PENTANGELI
What if I say shove it?

ROSATO
Then Carmine Fucillo and Tony Blue
DeRosa will need to be fitted for
slabs.

PENTANGELI
You want a war?

ROSATO
We got no choice.

PENTANGELI
You know if there's a way I'll go
to the commission and the commission
will side with me. That puts me
and the other New York families
against you.

ROSATO
We got friends in the commission.

PENTANGELI
(getting angry)
I'm talking about Italians!

ROSATO
What about Michael Corleone?

PENTANGELI
He supports me.

ROSATO
Maybe, yes... maybe no.

One of Pentangeli's men approaches with a plate of Italian
food.

Pentangeli stands up, angered by this remark of Rosato's; he
pushes the dish of food out of the surprised Bodyguard's
hands.

PENTANGELI
You drove old Pete Clemenza to his
grave, Carmine; you and your
brother. Turning on him; trouble
in his territories -- you and your
demands. I hold you responsible,
just as though you shot him in the
head. And I ain't gonna let that
go for long!

Pentangeli walks out of the restaurant; there's a little
tension between the bodyguards of the two factions.

ROSATO (O.S.)
Hey, Five-Angels...

He gives him the arm.

Frankie's face turns red, like he wants to have it out here
and now; but Willy Cicci calms his down, and they all make
their move out.

EXT. THE RESTAURANT - DAY

Pentangeli gets into the car.

PENTANGELI
Nobody I hate calls me Five-Angels
to my face!

He slams the door.

That's a good post, Sonny. I never knew about that scene. Bravo!

Even more interestingly....that fellow sitting in the background has an uncanny resemblance to Michael Corleone.

That dialogue really shows just how much research FFC did on the Gallo brothers (on whom the Rosatos are based). The similarites are uncanny (especially how they referenced Brooklyn).

When looking at early screenplay drafts like this, I'm always struck by how much better they are after the script doctors have gotten through with them.

While they do provide interesting background details for cultish fans like us, the scenes cram in so much expository dialogue that overwhelms the natural speech that makes the films ring true. Sometimes it's better to leave some ambiguity and let the audience fill in the blanks.

Funny story: Like Frankie, I didn't know what "pari persu" meant, so I googled it. The first result is...the Godfather II screenplay. The term doesn't otherwise exist, although they probably meant "pari passu," which is a term meaning "on equal footing." Don't know if FFC got it wrong or intentionally had Rosato make the mistake. I think the explicit reference to lawyers was telling - another illustration that Frankie was just too passe for the modern Mafia.

The other interesting thing from that excerpt is the implication that Roth is on the commission, which could explain why the Rosatos felt secure.

He probably was an unofficial member with a certain degree of influence just like Meyer Lansky had, who even attended some commission meetings.

By the way, that bar/restaurant looks a lot like the set used in The Sopranos when they show Carmine Lupertazzi's headquarters/social club. Towards the end of the series, it's where Phil has that posthumous birthday party for his dead brother and his whole family is there. Anyone else see the resemblence of that bar or am I going pazzo?!?

Good eye, Mark.

That bar has been used in DOZENS of NY movies, mostly mob films. Paulie (Eric Roberts) had a drink there in "The Pope of Greenwich Village." It also served as Vincent's club in "The Godfather Part III."

It's been on Mulberry Street for over 100 years. When I was growing up, and right up to a few years ago, it was called "Mare Chiaro," but everyone just called it "Mare's." Then, for whatever reason, they changed the name to "Mulberry Street Bar." Probably for the publicity.

It's located at 176 1/2 Mulberry Street, just south of Broome Street. I stop there for a drink or two whenever I'm in the area. But only during the day. It's waaaaay to "touristy" at night.

Do they have Billy Leotardo's urn of ashes on top of that mantle?

That's really cool. Thanks, PB. Seriously, is there any plaque or anything in that bar noting all those films & history? Or is it just common neighborhood knowledge?

Here you go, Mark.

That is so cool. What does Mare Chiaro mean? I know mare is sea, what is chiaro? Thanks for that awesome video, PB.

Chiaro means clear. So the loose translation is Clear Sea.

Thanks, PB. I didn't mean to hijack Sonny Black's thread but that picture of that cut scene really threw me. I thought I saw all the cut scenes from the GF films but somehow that one I missed. The script verbiage and similarities to the real Gallo Brothers is uncanny - you are correct, PB. Great thread Sonny Black! Super info on that bar, PB. Thanks, fellas.

Yeah, I'm sorry for hijacking the thread, too. But everone knows how excited I get about New York City history, right? What can I say? I love my hometown .

Ooh, I just want to add one more thing. That deleted still that Sonny posted is from the old "Mare Chiaro," as I stated. But for you fanatics out there, I should note that Frankie is strangled in a different bar (which is still in operation today). It's called "Vazacs Horseshoe Bar," and it's located in Alphabet City (Avenue B & East 7th Street).

GREAT thread!

I concur. Does anyone else love Rosato Brothers coffee as much as I do?

I think I speak for everyone that Pizzaboy gets a pass for his part in the hijacking. Great info and a super thread! Again, well done, Sonny Black. BTW - is there really a Rosato Bros. coffee?

You're welcome fellas. Didn't realize how popular those Rosato brothers actually are.

Btw, thanks PB for the extra info!

LMFAO, so this is the same restaurant used in Donnie Brasco? You know, the "Fugazi" scene.

That's it, son.

The first clip is from "Donnie Brasco." The second is from "Godfather 3." The third is from "The Pope of Greenwich Village."

Now, you shut up! You just listen. Don Cardi went down to Don Geoff for permission to have PB whacked. It came this close. I told Don Geoff PB was like a brother to me. That touched the old man. He was in a good mood due to his birthday. He told Don Cardi to give PB a pass. But if Don Geoff had said he hadda go, I would've come here today with these two zips and he would go.

PB, you cannot hijack a thread that belongs to a made man! There are rules! You break the rules, and this whole ******** thing of ours cracks and crumbles! You never break the rules. Capiche?


--just kidding, obviously... Always fun to learn more about NYC and film history...

So what happened to the Rosato Brothers after Roth's demise?

That's what keeps me coming back all day to check this stuff! Good stuff Lilo, you're a funny guy - but don't ever talk that way about PB again - NOT while I'm alive!

Joey Zasa & The Ant clipped them and took over Brooklyn...

.
Now if you're nice, I'll learn ya about Elmore Leonard's 1970's DEE-Troit .

Okay, enough is enough. I'm taking my thread back, and if necessary I use my "crew" to muscle in.



According to the video game they were killed by the player. But ofcourse, that's not canon.

Still, I think they were killed anyway as we all know how Michael dealt with anyone opposing him.

Michael wasn't that warmhearted like Gambino and the Rosato's didn't have a Dellacroce to save their asses.

Remember the line between Tom and Mike:

"You wanna wipe everyone out? Just my enemies..."

PENTANGELI: "You want me to be fair with them? TOM -- how can you be fair to animals? TOM -- for Crissakes, listen -- They recruit sp*cs -- they recruit ni**ers --...."

That line alone told me that FFC did his homework in basing the Rosato bros. on the Gallo bros.

For those who may not know, the Gallo clan (while being Italian based natinonalitywise), had many members who were from different ethnic backgrounds: Greeks, Middle Easterners, Irish, Spanish, Balcks etc.

It was while in prison that Crazy Joe recruited African Americans to join his crew and it was alleged that he even did business with people like Nicky Barnes.

One of my favorite books about the Gallo Brothers is one written by Pete "The Greek" Diapoulos titled THE SIXTH FAMILY







Thank you Mr. Neal!

I have to believe the Rosatos were eliminated (from the earth, not just as a threat). Michael took no prisoners back then. There's no way he lets them off the hook, even if they are "on the run," as Tom put it.

All joking aside, I agree and think that if one had to fill in the gaps between GFII and GFIII they would learn that a young up and coming named Joe Zsa Zsa probably carried out the order, through buffers of course to take out the Rosato brothers.

The Zsa Zsa character, in my opinion, was loosely based on Joe Columbo.

...and John Gotti. No one ever accused Columbo of cutting a bella figura.

I though the Zsa Zsa character was one of the Gabor sisters.

Joey Zasa is based most on Joe Colombo. Remember that he had his "Meucci association" which was a clear reference to the Italian American Civil Rights League of Joe Colombo.

Some newspaper article I once read about him stated that he was also based on Joe Gallo.

And he's probably also based on Gotti who was the most famous gangster at the time Part III was made. Coppola and Puzo were most definitely aware of that and that may just be the reason they created someone like Zasa.

Good one ollie!

As Vincent said........."Zazaaaaaaa."

TB is right. Colombo and Gotti, for sure. And you can make a case for a little Crazy Joe, too.

The line below was lifted verbatim right out of Jerry Capeci's first Gotti bio, "Mob Star." It supposedly happened between Gotti and Michael Franzese. Just switch John Gotti for Michael Corleone. It was published in 1988, a year before they started filming "Godfather 3."

"If there is some guy running around this city saying, 'Fuck Michael Corleone,' what do we do with a piece of shit like that? He's a fucking dog."

Michael also states, "His picture is on the cover of the New York Times magazine. He gets the Esquire magazine award, for the best-dressed gangster! The newspapers praise him, because, he hires Blacks into his family, which shows he has a good heart. He, is famous. Who knows? Maybe one day, he will make all of you, popular."

Now the New York Times and Esquire references were clearly Gotti references. A Gotti drawing famously made the cover of Time magazine back in 1986. He was wearing a double breasted suit and the article mentioned his reputation as being the "best dressed gangster in Queens."

As for hiring blacks into his family, that could have easily come from one of the Gallos brothers---probably Joe, who grew tight with the black inmates while doing time for extortion.

Absolutely pizzaboy. He LOVED the cameras. Crazy Joe was known as being a "Chic" gangster for his hobnobbing with many "upper echelon" uptown types. It was Marta and Jerry Orbach who took a liking to Crazy Joe. They began introducing him around town to people like Joan Hackett, David Steinberg, etc., who in turn began inviting him to these private upscale parties thrown by the rich and famous.

I think Bob Dylan wrote a song about Crazy Joe.

Yes, it is called JOEY

Grew up over on Longfellow/Atkinson/Rosa Parks Blvd next to the Boston Edison area of Detroit........

and on rap forums, there are old rumors from people from Harlem who swear that Nicky Barnes used to do dealings with Crazy Joe, but we'll never know....


by the way, the name is ADilla Nevada, my first post on this site of course would be something about Detroit.

Welcome!
I'm a Boston-Edison man myself. Linwood/Chicago/Boston. Nice to have another Detroiter here. Hope you stick around...

No plm...weird thing was, I actually live in Detroit until I was 7 until I move to Mississippi, but I would travel back and forth every winter and summer break during every chance I got...my late grandfather was a well-known Detroit Police Detective on the radio in the 70s and 80s and was actually instrumental in quelling the riot in '67 over the radio with the "Queen". Ironically though, it was my great-uncle (his brother-in-law) across the river in Canada (Chatham) that had a huge collection of books on the mafia, and that were I first found the Godfather book at 11 years old (I was reading Lords of the Rings by 8 yrs. old lol)...I read the Godfather and haven't been the same since..would look for every Mafia book I could find ...lol.

yeah, great thread!

it got me curious about the Gallo Brothers once again but I didn't choose the most reliable source... now, is most of this really true?

and especially this?

"...a member of the Gallo group arranged for a hitman to be flown in from Las Vegas, who would be dispatched to ambush the Colombo leadership during the meeting. However, the hitman fired at the wrong table, in the process killing two innocent businessmen."

I read the link you posted and came upon this:





....nearly strangle at lounge sounds very familiar...Frankie Five Angels anybody?

I'll take Rosato Brothers coffee over Gallo Brothers wine anytime.

Thanks for keeping this topic alive.

The bar also looks like the bar in "A Bronx Tale" where the motorcycle gang got their azzes kicked.

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VtcVvt5nR8I[/video]

This topic makes me want to watch part II again, great stuff.